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Commission Recommendations

MedPAC makes recommendations to the Congress and to the Secretary of Health and Human Services on issues affecting the administration of the Medicare program. With its recommendations, the Commission strives to improve the delivery of care, while ensuring financial stability and maximizing value for the program. After extensive analysis and evaluation, our recommendations are discussed and voted on by Commissioners in our public meetings. Recommendations are typically published in two main reports, released in March and June of each year.

Recommendations	Topic(s)	Date
Outpatient dialysis services The Congress should update the outpatient dialysis payment rate by 1 percent for calendar year 2012.	Ambulatory care settings	March 2011
Ambulatory surgical centers The Congress should implement a 0.6 percent increase in payment rates for ambulatory surgical center services in calendar year 2011 concurrent with requiring ambulatory surgical centers to submit cost and quality data	Ambulatory care settings	March 2010
Outpatient dialysis services The Congress should update the composite rate by the projected rate of increase in the end-stage renal disease market basket less the adjustment for productivity growth for calendar year 2011.	Ambulatory care settings	March 2010
Outpatient dialysis services The Congress should maintain current law and update the composite rate in calendar year 2010 by 1 percent.	Ambulatory care settings	February 2009
Physician services and ambulatory surgical centers (4) The Congress should increase payments for ambulatory surgical center (ASC) services in calendar year 2010 by 0.6 percent. In addition, the Congress should require ASCs to submit to the Secretary cost data and quality data that will allow for an effective evaluation of the adequacy of ASC payment rates.	Ambulatory care settings	February 2009
Outpatient dialysis services The Congress should update the composite rate in calendar year 2009 by the projected rate of increase in the end-stage renal disease market basket index less the Commission’s adjustment for productivity growth. The Commission reiterates its recommendation that the Congress implement a quality incentive program for physicians and facilities that treat dialysis patients.	Ambulatory care settings Physicians and other health professionals Quality	February 2008
Outpatient dialysis services The Congress should update the composite rate in calendar year 2008 by the projected rate of increase in the end-stage renal disease market basket index less the Commission’s expectation for productivity growth.	Ambulatory care settings	March 2007
Outpatient dialysis services (1) The Congress should update the composite rate in calendar year 2007 by the projected rate of increase in the end-stage renal disease market basket index less half the Commission’s expectation for productivity growth.	Ambulatory care settings	March 2006
Outpatient dialysis services (2) The Congress should direct the Secretary to: eliminate differences in paying for composite rate services between hospital-based and freestanding dialysis facilities; and combine the base composite rate and the add-on adjustment.	Ambulatory care settings	March 2006
Payment for dialysis (A) The Congress should direct the Secretary to: * Eliminate differences in paying for composite rate services between hospital-based and freestanding dialysis facilities; and * Combine the base composite rate and the add-on adjustment.	Ambulatory care settings	June 2005